Dwarves
DWARVEN CULTURE Dwarves live longer than humans and so the basic pursuits of survival are often settled long before the dwarves have to even consider impending death. Thus the dwarves, like the elves, have a lot of time on their hands. What the dwarves have decided to use this time for is Art, but not just the creation of art, but the perfection of Art in everything they do. This striving towards perfection permeates every aspect of a dwarf’s life, but particularly in his chosen career. And it is usually a male dwarf who has a career. The women are the caretakers and home makers, but they are also the political and spiritual leaders of the clan. Women are held in high regard for their self-sacrificing manner, and honored for great accomplishments in their realms of control. Male dwarves, on the other hand are dedicated to the perfection of an art, be this smelting, masonry, warfare, or animal husbandry. Every dwarf is bound by the Way of Art, which is their spiritual doctrine of self-sacrifice and devout striving towards perfection. Whereas women sacrifice themselves to the community, raising children, governing, and home making, men sacrifice their lives to their art form, to the perfection of their chosen skill. Of course not all dwarves strive for complete mastery, they are only dwarves after all, and no more perfect than humans or elves. But the culture itself is driven by the philosophy of the Way of Art, and for those dwarves who pursue the Way tenaciously, their life is given purpose and honor. Dwarven home life is unique on Tarth, as each male dwarf is lord over a harem of females. Each female has a particular area of expertise and over that area she is the matriarch of the household, having even authority over the male dwarf. All functions of the women are directed at raising the children and supporting the male in his pursuits. This means that most women are the laborers of the family, working the mines, harvesting the fungal crops, etc. However, each of these fields is pioneered and guided by the direct research and insight of a male dwarf who dedicates his entire life to perfection in that single field. This is not the case in the military, however. Dwarven women being held in such high regard, they are not wasted on the battle field. All soldiers and military support personnel are male. Warfare holds a unique place in the dwarven culture as it has been so essential for their survival. War is seen as the purest expression of the Way of Art. The philosophy of the Way teaches that the direct sacrifice of one’s life in battle is the perfect manifestation of the symbolic daily sacrifice the other dwarves perform in working towards the ultimate perfection of the society. Warfare and combat are fields that demand the absolute awareness of the present moment, which is the closest a dwarf can become to the Way of Art; as pure, unrefined, uninterrupted awareness and action is the Way of Art. Dwarves originally lived underground as savage cannibals. Their civilization was due to a combination of warfare with the more powerful orcs, and the influence of elven influences (though no dwarf will ever admit, nor do most know, such a thing). Over the centuries the demands of survival forced the savages to unite against their common foes, and the blessing of elven altruism and teaching set them on the path to becoming the race they are today. Since those days many dwarves have abandoned the caves and sought life on the surface, be it in the mountains or the forests. History has not been kind to the dwarf who abandons his subterranean home, however, and at the present time all four of the major clans live under the earth. This lifestyle has made dwarves excellent miners, skilled masons, and astute gemologists. It was also underground that gunpowder was discovered, and to this day dwarves remain some of the most skilled marksmen on Tarth. Dwarves’ traditional enemies have always been the orcs, since the two races have always struggled over the same resources and land. However, the two do not despise one another. Rather they respect each other as the only worthy foes each culture has confronted. And whereas dwarves strive towards perfection in their arts, Orcs strive towards the achievement of power, a not dissimilar goal. Dwarven government is a matriarchal aristocracy, with the founding families of each clan running the clan according to the dictates of the Sovereign Mother. Each Sovereign Mother runs her clan differently. Some form committees to run the daily matters of the clan, saving only the most important matters for her own consideration, while others set up legislative senates and act as the executive authority over any decisions the senate comes to, while still others are pure dictatorships run solely by the founding clan’s Sovereign Mother. Dwarves worship Terrax, the God in Darkness, the Lord of the Earth. Terrax is praised for giving dwarves life and will, which is enough. He does not bestow boons on his followers, nor do they ask any, for he has given them all they could need when he gave them life. Terrax is still honored; however, as are the dwarven ancestors for the role both have played in honing the dwarven lifestyle and philosophy. Some dwarves dedicate their lives to Terrax, striving towards His material perfection, but these are rare dwarves indeed; though they are kept busy with marriages, funerals, and coming of age rites. Dwarves are not a particularly magical race. This is believed to be because they are children of Terrax, and Terrax is so closely united to the material plane that the dwarven people do not have as much capability to contact the non-material planes. Whatever the reason, dwarven mages are unheard of. Some dwarven shamans do exist, however, accessing the much closer spiritual plane to interact with, bind, and make deals with the spirits of the dead. Dwarven shamans share a great deal with necromancers, but they are not necessarily evil, as they often draw their power from their ancestors, power which is given freely or earned through trials.